Community members asked the development company to consider a smaller profit margin in order to create a project better suited for the city's residents.

A proposed development along Keowee Trail in Clemson has residents once again asking whether the city needs any more student housing.

The city's Planning Commission heard a presentation this week from Vision Development, an Ohio-based company which is pitching a 160-unit student housing project on the land across the street from Abernathy Park on Lake Hartwell.

Planning Commission members and residents expressed concerns about whether the student-focused development would be a good use of land when the city has needs for more affordable options for young families.

"I think you've done a nice job talking about what you want to do and how you want to do it," Fran McGuire, chair of the commission, told the developers. "I think I want to hear much more about why this is good for the city of Clemson."

McGuire, who was elected to join the City Council in January, said he is not anti-student or anti-development but did not see an argument for the proposal besides creating something for students.

Is the proposal good for Clemson?

Among the goals on the city's 2024 Comprehensive Plan was to "encourage a balanced range of housing types that promote opportunities for clean, safe and affordable housing."

When the plan was written in 2014, three large student developments were already underway, The Lofts, Campus View, and Dukes Centre. In the last three years, around 4,000 beds of student housing have come online in the city, according to Todd Steadman, the city's director of planning and codes.

It was the "balanced" element that seemed to be missing for listeners as the developer pitched the Keowee Trail project.

Commission member Drake McNeary suggested the developer could make an effort to gear one of the two proposed Keowee Trail buildings toward families, young professionals, retirees and other non-students while pricing the other on a per-bed basis, making it more appropriate for students.

The idea was well-received by Brent Wrightsel, who was representing Vision Development.

Commission member Kathy Fulmer expressed concerns that Abernathy Park would become a place for students to hang out, and not families.

Commissioner Bill Aarnes noted that the park is one of the few connections between the city and Lake Hartwell. Wrightsel expressed a willingness to help the city to improve Abernathy Park if the development moved forward.

Commissioners also wanted to know what would become of the neighboring property on Wall Street.

Wrightsel at one point said this property could become a "phase two" project for Vision Development, although the company has no current plans for it and does not control it.

Attendees at Monday's meeting also asked what would be different about the current project versus others for the site which have failed to gain approval. Some questioned whether allowing the Keowee Trail project would tie the city's hands and limit its ability to say no to other developers in the future.

Changes to the proposed development

Todd Foley, of POD Design, the firm handling the land planning and landscape architecture, answered questions at the meeting.

Since the project was originally pitched to the city, the developer has reduced the size of the buildings, removed balconies and added more features along the street, which sits across the road from Abernathy Park on Lake Hartwell.

While the original plan called for 171 units of student housing and 463 beds, the new plan includes 160 units and 440 beds. The proposed 510-space parking garage has stayed the same.

The update also includes a 10-foot bike trail, 10-foot sidewalk, 3-foot tree median and two main plazas that lead to ground-level commercial spaces.

The changes were welcomed by the commissioners but did not seem to fix the underlying concerns about the need for student housing.

While Wrightsel argued that student housing was necessary to make the development cost effective given the uneven grading, community members asked him to consider a smaller profit margin in order to create a project better suited to what they see as the community's more pressing housing needs.

People also tossed out other options for generating income at the property.

Resident John Fulmer floated the idea of creating an event space in the building. He said people could hold receptions there after weddings in the park.

Commissioners seemed interested in any alternatives to a purely student-focused project.

Foley emphasized that the plan is still being developed, and they are open to incorporating ideas. He said they are also waiting on a civil engineer to assess the topography of the seven parcels involved and conduct a traffic study of the area.

Public input

Residents will have a chance to share their thoughts on the project in January during a public input session with the developer. An exact date for that session has not been determined.

After that, the project proposal would go for a first reading in front of the Planning Commission.

But, the developers still have a long way to go in convincing the commissioners and citizens that the project is a good fit for Keowee Trail.

"Any plan, proposal, project has to benefit the citizens of this community and if it doesn't do that, it is going to be very difficult for me to understand why this is something we would want to move forward with," City Council member-elect Alesia Smith said. "Our students I believe have more than enough residences. If the university feels there needs to be more residences, the university is responsible for making sure that occurs, not the city of Clemson."